Love's Never Too Late
by StorybrookeGirl
Summary: Seeing Henry at Granny's after he and Emma have returned to Storybrooke upsets Regina. She's involved in a car accident that will lead her to find someone she was meant to meet many years before. I suck at summaries. Outlaw Queen. Rated M for violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Hey, everyone! This story picks up after our beloved fairy tale characters have returned to Storybrooke, as well as Emma and Henry. There are some scenes in the episodes that I loved and I tried to fit them into the story. The dialogues were perfect, according to me, I couldn't bring myself to change them, so if there's any scene/dialogue you recognize then it's taken directly from the show, I do not own it._**

**_Enjoy! x_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters._**

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Chapter 1

The cup slipped from her hands without her even realizing it. She didn't bother to look down, though everyone was now staring at her, for her eyes were fixed on the young man sitting in the booth right in front of her with Emma and the Charmings. He looked at her as if she were a complete stranger.

She struggled to say something, the words seemed stuck in her throat "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.."

"That's okay" he said nonchalantly before looking down at his cup of hot chocolate again.

Regina felt her eyes filling with tears, her heart ached more than she ever thought possible. Emma stood up, she wanted to explain everything but Regina raised a hand in her direction to stop her from coming any closer.

She hurried out of the diner as fast as she could. She felt sick to her stomach and made her way quickly to the alley next to the restaurant. She didn't even manage to reach the nearest trash can before she started emptying the contents of her stomach. She leaned against the wall for support as she started feeling dizzy, tears still threatening to spill from her eyes.

Regina headed to her car, determined to get home as fast as she could. She couldn't handle all of this. Not right now. It was when she tried to start the car that she noticed her hands were shaking, for she couldn't even insert the car key in the ignition. She managed to, after a while, and started down the street, headed straight home.

Her cell phone started ringing and she looked at the screen to see who was calling her. Emma.

Tears started falling uncontrollably and she let the phone fall back into her purse.

She looked up just in time to see a truck getting awfully close to her car. She hadn't seen the red light at the crossroad and she was going too fast.

She had no time to steer, to stop, to do anything, not even to think. All she heard was the loud crash of the other car hitting hers sideways, making her hit her head against the car window, before her world went dark.

The man who was driving the truck managed to unfasten his seat belt and slip out of the vehicle. He made his way to the other car to check if the driver was fine, only to find she clearly wasn't. The woman was unconscious and there was blood running down her head.

He started to panic and looked around frantically until his eyes fell on a woman who was passing by and asked her to go get help.

There was broken glass everywhere but he stepped carelessly on it to open the car door and lift the woman up in his arms.

Just after he managed to get her out, an ambulance arrived. The paramedics met the man halfway and he lay the woman carefully on the stretcher, never taking his eyes off of her while they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance and put a mask on her face.

"Is she going to be okay?" He asked concerned at one of the paramedics, who was trying to check him out.

"Sir, you're injured, you need to come with us to the hospital."

He looked down to see a nasty cut on his left forearm and nodded absentmindedly as he got into the ambulance.

There was something familiar about this woman but he couldn't figure out where it was that they had met. He took her hand in his and hoped with all his heart that she was alright. He didn't let go until the vehicle stopped in front of the hospital and the paramedics helped him out of the ambulance and lead him to the ER, where a nurse started stitching him up and checking if he had any other injuries.

He saw the woman being carried to another room by a doctor but they wouldn't let him follow her. He decided to stay in the waiting room until the doctor came back to ask him about her. In the meantime a blonde entered the hospital and a nurse pointed him to her.

"Hi, I'm Emma Swan, the Sheriff. I don't think we've met before, is it your first time here in Storybrooke?" she asked as she sat down next to him.

"Uhm.. yes, it is. My name is Robin, Robin of Locksley.."

Emma raised her eyebrows in shock "Robin Hood? Seriously?"

"So you heard of me, I take it"

"Uh.. yeah, I actually read stories about you.." She couldn't say she was really shocked after all she had witnessed in the past few years but, still, it felt weird to be talking to Robin Hood "I'm here because of the accident.. Can you tell me what happened?"

"A friend of mine taught me how to drive when I arrived here and I just borrowed his truck to get to the store and.. she just came out of nowhere. I think she didn't see the red light, she was going very fast.." he had concern written all over his face "I just want to know if she's okay.."

Emma, who still didn't know who else was involved in the accident, left him in the waiting room while she looked for Dr Whale. Who she didn't expect to see in the hospital bed was Regina. Emma froze on the spot and when Whale noticed her standing in the doorway, he led her outside the room to tell her everything.

"H-How is she?" Emma asked, not taking her eyes off the woman. She looked so small in the hospital bed, it almost scared the blonde to see her like that.

"She's going to be okay, Emma" Whale said "She bumped her head and has a mild concussion, and she needed stitches on her left hand, but she's going to be okay. We're still running a few tests so I'm going to keep her here for the night, just to make sure everything's fine." He gave her a reassuring smile before leading her to the waiting room. Regina needed to rest, so Emma was told to come back during visiting hours.

She went outside to get some fresh air and started dialing on her phone.

"Mary Margaret, are you still at the apartment with Henry?"

_"Yeah, why? Did something happen?" _she could tell by Emma's voice that something was wrong.

"Regina was involved in a car accident.."

_"What!? We'll be there in —"_

"Mary Margaret, calm down, she's going to be fine. Whale said she has a concussion and needs to rest right now. Besides, visiting hours don't start 'till after lunch, so there's no point for you to come here right now. Come down here in the afternoon, I'll stay here just in case.."

_"What about Henry? Do you think it's a good idea to bring him there?"_ Snow asked hesitantly.

"I.. I'll make something up, just tell him that you're coming here to see a friend" She couldn't think of a better excuse for the whole situation right now.

_"Okay.. see you later"_

Emma went back inside and noticed that Robin was still sitting there, looking even more concerned than before. She sat next to him to try and calm him down a little.

"Hey.." She knew he was about to ask for her so she placed a reassuring hand on his arm and spoke before he had a chance to say a word "She's going to be okay, she just bumped her head and has a small cut on her hand but she's fine"

"Can I ask you something?" He asked a little hesitantly.

"Sure"

"Who is she? I think I've seen her before but I can't remember where"

"Her name is Regina Mills. She's the may—"

"The Queen.." He completed the sentence looking rather shocked.

"Yeah, sorry, forgot you weren't brought here by the first curse" It wasn't exactly easy for Emma to keep up with everything that happened in the town and to separate those who had been taken to Storybrooke by the first curse from the victims of the new one.

Emma noticed something curious, though. He referred to Regina only as _'the Queen' _, not as _'the Evil Queen'. _

"Did you meet her in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked.

"No, but I spent many a day running from her black knights before she cast the curse. I only saw her once, in the woods, just after she became Queen. She was travelling to the summer palace with the King and Snow White." He told Emma while getting lost in the memory "Her hair was longer back then, I guess that's why I didn't recognize her right away. I remember she had this very sad look on her face.. I'll never be able to get that look out of my head.."

Emma could tell that he was a good man.

"You've had a pretty rough day already, you should probably go home and get some rest" She suggested with a smile.

"Can I see her?" he asked with pleading eyes. He didn't know why he was so concerned with her well-being. He hadn't even been the one to cause the accident but, still, he felt somehow responsible and felt the need to see with his own eyes that she was fine.

"She's resting right now. You can come later, though. Visiting hours start at 2pm and end at 9pm."

"Thank you, Emma" he said bowing his head slightly at her before leaving.

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At 2pm sharp, the Charmings and Henry entered the hospital. Emma told Henry that a friend of hers had had a car accident and she wanted to make sure she was fine. She surely couldn't tell him that she had been called by the hospital because she was still the Sheriff since he had no memories of that.

She lead them to Regina's room but Henry and David decided to wait outside. Snow and Emma agreed it was probably a good idea, considering how seeing Henry had already upset Regina.

A nurse was checking her vitals when the two women entered and Regina started slowly waking up. It took her a while to figure out she was lying in a hospital bed. Her head hurt like crazy. She looked to find Emma and Snow smiling at her and asked in a barely audible whisper "What happened?"

"You were in a car accident, Regina" Emma told her.

Regina closed her eyes for a moment, the pain was agonizing "My head hurts"

"You have a mild concussion, Regina, nothing to worry about. The pain is just temporary, trust me" they heard a male voice say and turned to see Whale standing in the doorway.

"Was someone else hurt?" she managed to ask in a whisper.

"The other driver is fine, don't worry. I ran a few extra tests to make sure everything's fine and.. if you ladies could excuse us for a moment.." Whale said, asking Snow and Emma to leave the room.

Snow saw how Regina tensed at his words and squeezed her hand before leaving the room, telling her "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. We'll see you in a bit"

Snow and her unnerving optimism, Regina thought. After all they had been through, Snow still showed her kindness and for that Regina was grateful.

Once the two had left the room, Regina was left alone with the doctor "It's not just a concussion, is it?" she asked "I feel like crap.."

"I was telling the truth, Regina, the accident only caused the concussion and the cut on your hand but.." he was hesitant and Regina noticed.

"Get to the point, Whale. What's wrong with me?"

"We ran a few extra tests and there's something you should know.." he took a deep breath before he resumed speaking "..you're pregnant, Regina."

She just lay there for a moment, keeping her eyes closed. Everything felt so distant, as if she was dreaming. She wanted nothing more than for it all to be a bad dream, to open her eyes and find herself in her own bedroom, with her son sleeping just a couple of rooms down the hallway.

When her eyes opened once more, though, she found herself still lying in the hospital bed and the only thing she could whisper was a faint "What?"

"You are having a baby, Regina. It looks like you're 3 months along and you were very lucky, the accident didn't hurt the baby, everything is fine" he added with a smile.

She completely lost it.

"Everything's fine? How can you tell me that everything is fine?" By now she was almost screaming at him, but she didn't sound angry. She just sounded broken. "How can you tell me that everything is fine? We were cursed and lost our memories of the past year and now you're telling me that I am pregnant with a child that I will have to raise on my own, because I have no idea who the father is." The screams subsided to be replaced by a heartbreaking whisper as tears started streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks "I have a son who doesn't even remember who I am, so excuse me if I say that everything is most definitely _not_ fine.."

She turned her head away from him to find the Charmings standing outside her room, looking at her through the glass doors, which were thankfully soundproof. When her eyes fell on Henry, who was currently playing a video game, more tears fell from her yes.

"Tell them I don't want to see them.." she told Whale as she turned the other way and curled up.

Regina fell asleep sobbing, hoping that it was just a nightmare, because if all the pain she felt was real, she wasn't sure she'd be able to take it this time.

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_**A/N: I'd really like to know what you think about the story so far, so I'll be waiting for your reviews (which make me write and upload faster)! ;)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Oh my God, I did not expect such a huge response to this ff! You guys are amazing, I loved each and everyone of your reviews, thank you so much!_**

**_Now, this came out a little short but I promise next chapter is going to be waaaaay longer! And since you are all so adorable, I might updload it earlier.. let's say on Monday :)_**

**_Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think about it x_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters._**

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Chapter 2

Robin got to the hospital around 7pm. He brought his son, Roland, with him, because he didn't want to leave him in the apartment all by himself. He asked a nurse is she could look after him while he visited someone and she was kind enough to do so.

He found Regina's room rather quickly and was about to knock on the open door when he noticed she was sleeping. He made his way silently next to her and sat on the chair next to the bed. She was indeed the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Still, he frowned upon seeing on her face the same sad look she had all those years before, which showed even as she slept.

He didn't know why he felt so much empathy towards the woman he had never even spoken to, but his heart ached at the sight and he reached out to take her hand in his and started stroking its back with his thumb in slow, soothing movements.

It looked to him as though her features relaxed a bit at the gesture but dismissed the thought immediately and retracted slowly his hands when he saw her eyes starting to open.

Regina opened her eyes slowly to see a man sitting next to her, smiling sympathetically at her. She didn't even bother to move from her position and straighten herself as she asked in a tired voice "Who are you?"

"My name is Robin. Robin of Locksley, m'lady."

He was met with silence at first, as she tried to remember why the name sounded familiar. Then it hit her. "And what are you doing here.. _thief_?" She added in an attempt to put up her mask. Her voice gave her away, though, for it carried all the emptiness and hurt she felt inside.

"I came here to apologize for the accident and to make sure you were okay.. _your majesty_"

Regina was taken aback by his words and, above all, by the concern that clearly filled his voice "Why would you? I should apologize to you, I'm the one who caused the accident.."

"But it is you who got injured and I am sorry for that."

She looked up and her dark eyes met Robin's blue ones and for a moment silence settled between them, though they didn't seem to notice or care.

"So, are you?" He asked bringing Regina out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

Her mind went through the previous events of the day and she recalled the news of her pregnancy, the accident, Henry's lost memories. She was most definitely not okay but decided to lie anyway "Yes, thank you"

She didn't convince Robin at all and he way just about to reply when they heard a small voice call from the doorway "Papa?"

The boy ran to his father and jumped into his lap.

"You were supposed to stay with the nurse. How did you get away?" Robin asked his son.

"She wasn't looking" the boy said innocently and wrapped his arms around his father's neck.

Regina looked at the boy in Robin's lap and her eyes swelled up with tears as the memories of past moments spent with Henry crossed her mind. It was way too painful, all she wanted was for the pain to stop. At the same time, though, she was captured by the little boy in front of her. He looked a lot like Robin but his eyes were dark and his dimples were just too cute to go by unnoticed.

"This is your son? Was he.. involved in the accident as well?" Regina's heart skipped a beat and fear gripped her heart at the thought that she might've hurt the little boy.

"Yes, this is my son, Roland. And no, he wasn't in the car with me, don't worry"

Regina let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding upon hearing his words.

"Papa, who is this?"

Regina couldn't help but smile at the boy as Robin whispered to his son as if he was sharing a secret "She's the queen.."

"But you can call me Regina" She said.

Robin noticed there was something different in her as she looked at Roland, he could say there was a twinkle in her eyes when she heard Roland's not-so-low whisper "She's pretty!"

Robin let out a soft laughter and replied while looking at her "That she is!"

"Can I give her a hug? I've never hugged a queen before!" the boy asked Robin with big doe eyes.

He didn't have to ask Regina twice, for she was already sitting up and nodding towards Robin meaning it was fine.

He lifted his son and placed him carefully on the bed next to Regina and in no time he had his arms wrapped around her neck. She closed her eyes and hugged him tight, holding his small body as close to hers as possible and taking in his sweet smell.

Regina didn't know what had gotten to her. She was the Evil Queen, she wasn't used to these displays of affection and had no idea why she had let these two break through her walls. Still, she was happy she had, because she realized she needed this. She just let go and for a moment she allowed herself to forget about everything, her past, the curse, and just enjoy this moment.

She missed the contact the moment he let go of her but let out a soft giggle when he whispered to her "You are prettier when you smile." Those dimples were going to drive her crazy, he was way too adorable.

In the meantime, Robin wrote something on a small piece of paper then scooped the little boy up in his arms "As I was about to say earlier, if you ever need someone to talk to just call me" he said handing her the piece of paper "anytime".

Regina didn't know what to say. She wasn't used to such displays of kindness, the only thing she knew was how to push people away, it was like an automatic defense that she couldn't help but use "I already have a psychiatrist, you know?"

Robin laughed under his breath before saying "I didn't mean for you to think of me as such. Think of me as a.. friend"

He smiled at her and left the room without another word and Regina was left to dwell on his words. A friend. She hadn't even known the guy for five minutes and he was already suggesting her to consider him a friend. Not to mention the fact that she caused the car accident he was in. Why the hell would he want to be her friend?

With these thoughts she fell once more into a restless sleep, filled with memories that turned into nightmares she couldn't escape.

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_**A/N: Little Roland being as adorable as ever makes my heart melt every single time! Sooo, they finally met! Let me know what you think about it :) x**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: You guys are incredible, I swear! I'm amazed by the huge response this ff is getting! Thank you so much for reading and thanks for all your reviews, follows and favorites! _**

**_As I promised, here's a nice long chapter for you. nice? Did I just say 'nice'? I think and hope you're going to LOVE this! I think it's the best thing I've written so far, and I mean ever!_**

**_So enjoy and please review to let me know what you think of this chapter, it's quite important for me, I put my whole heart into it :)_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters._**

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Chapter 3

Days started turning into weeks and Regina's frustration grew by the minute. There had been attacks by flying monkeys and several people had disappeared. They had figured out the person responsible for the curse was the Wicked Witch of the West but the information was useless since they couldn't find her.

Snow gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Lucas, and with that threat hanging over them, Charming decided to stay home to protect Snow and their baby in case the Wicked Witch tried to harm them.

The curious thing was that she wasn't targeting just one person but several people. Neal and most of the dwarves had disappeared, David had been attacked in the forest and Belle in Mr Gold's shop.

Hook, Emma and Regina were the only ones working on finding the Wicked Witch but it was harder for Regina to keep up with them, as the pregnancy progressed and she was growing bigger by the day, also causing her to tire more quickly. The best thing for her at the moment was to stay home and rest.

Things had been more stressful than ever for her. Henry was smart and it didn't take him long to figure out his mother wasn't in Storybrooke just for a case. They all agreed to keep the truth from him, though, so they kept up the farse.

Regina only got to see him a couple of times. The first time she showed him around town and they took a stroll in the park. It was nice and almost felt like old times, but when Henry started telling her about Emma's boyfriend and his worries about his her lying to him, all Regina wanted to do was hug him and hold him tight, telling him that everything was going to be okay. All she wanted was to be his mom but he only saw her as an older friend and, when she realized that, it broke her heart into a thousand tiny pieces.

The second time they had met was at Granny's. She had given his fairy tales book, hoping it would jog his memory. She had to hold back the tears that had quickly started pooling her eyes when she realized that it hadn't worked. He wasn't a baby anymore and he believed those fairy tales to be just that. A bunch of stories.

Two months had passed since their return to Storybrooke and Regina was starting to show. It was hard. The first time she noticed the small bump she didn't even try to choke back the sobs. She was completely alone and she couldn't bear the thought of not knowing who the father was, even if it wasn't her fault.

At least Snow had Charming, while Regina had no one by her side. They had all been cursed and anything could've happened during the missing year but people would start talking nonetheless. She decided it would be better to stay home as much as possible. She collected all the documents she needed from her office at the town hall so she could keep up with her work, for she still had a town to run. Besides, it was pretty much the only think that could distract her and keep her from thinking about Henry, the Wicked Witch and a countless amount of other problems. Basically, she left the house only to go to the store or to pay a visit to the Charmings to see Lucas and to get some updates on the Wicked Witch.

One night she woke up screaming due to a nightmare. They had been getting worse over time. She dreamed of flying monkeys and of the Enchanted Forest, that much was clear, and there was a general feeling of dread and danger that filled her dreams but that was about it. The dreams she had were blurred, almost completely forgotten in the morning, and the worst part was she couldn't even tell if they were mere figments of her imagination or if they were memories.

She looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It read 4.20am. She was exhausted but she didn't want to face those nightmares again, so she got out of bed and took a hot bath to relax a little before going into her studio to get some paperwork done.

At about 10am, though, Regina noticed she had finished the last bit of work she had left. She called her secretary at the town hall to know if there were some more documents that needed to be checked, as she did everyday, but nothing. She started doing some cleaning around the house but when even that had been taken care of, she had nothing left to do.

While walking towards her bedroom, she caught sight of the guest room down the hall. Its door was closed, as always. She never had guests and she started thinking that, sooner or later, she had to start setting up the nursery.

Since she had nothing else to do she decided to head to the mall. Besides, her clothes barely fit now and she needed to get new ones. The maternity clothes weren't bad at all, the ones she found were actually quite beautiful but she didn't enjoy shopping as much as she used to. She had too many things on her mind to enjoy it.

Just as she made her way out of the shop, a little boy ran into her. Luckily, he stopped just before hitting her, nonetheless nearly giving Regina a heart attack.

"Roland! I told you not to run off like that!" She knew that voice. She looked down at the little boy and recognized him immediately as the outlaw's offspring. Those dimples were quite impossible to forget.

She looked up just in time to meet Robin's deep blue eyes, as he approached the two of them and fully realizing the woman Roland had run into was Regina.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry about him, he's always running around and it's quite impossible to stop him" he said while picking the little boy up in his arms.

"Don't worry, I'm fine" he couldn't help but smile upon hearing those words. She didn't know why but she simply couldn't take her eyes off the man standing in front of her. Maybe it was due to the dim light, but in the hospital room she hadn't fully noticed how handsome he was. He shared Roland's adorable dimples but they were slightly covered by his stubble and his eyes were as blue as the ocean.

Robin brought her back from her thoughts "You never called.."

Why did she suddenly feel herself blushing as if she were some silly teenager? Regina had actually thought many times about calling him but fear took over each time and she dismissed the idea. Nevertheless, she felt like she needed to make up an excuse for not having called him, the only problem being that she was too lost into his eyes to form a coherent thought "I- I'm sorry, I've been busy and I must've forgotten." _Lie._

"Oh, I see.. Roland and I have been busy too, right buddy?" He said smiling at his son before looking at Regina once more "You know, I actually swore to myself that if I were lucky enough to meet you again, I'd ask you something"

Did she hear correctly? He considered himself _lucky_ for seeing her again? That was a new!

"Would it be too bold for a thief to ask a queen out on a date?"

Regina just stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Was he serious? A date? With her of all people?

"You know, there's a reason why most people hate me and are scared of me. Spending time with me is not the best idea.." She said looking rather sad at her own comment.

"Well, if I cared about what everyone else thought I wouldn't have asked you in the first place, would I?" he whispered giving her a lopsided smile.

"I don't go out much, people are not exactly happy when I'm around.." she could already see the sad look on his face and the words were out of her mouth before she knew it "..but I do love to cook. Why don't you and Roland join me tomorrow night for dinner?"

Robin's face lit up like that of a little boy on Christmas morning, though he was obviously trying to contain his happiness a little "It's a date".

* * *

Perhaps inviting them for dinner had been a bad idea. Regina was pacing restlessly around the kitchen, thinking this was wrong. She couldn't understand what had pushed her to invite them but she felt somehow drawn to the man. She was probably just trying to fill up the void left in her heart, wasn't she? But she felt like she was just deluding herself. And even if she did like him, she never got to be happy, why would this time be any different?

Regina froze on the spot when she heard the doorbell ring. She took a deep breath before making her way to the hall, where she greeted an excited Roland and a very handsome Robin. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of jeans, not exactly the clothes one would see in the Enchanted Forest and Regina caught herself wondering about how he must've looked there.

"Hi, 'Gina" Roland said while waving his hand at her. The misspelled name made her smile "Hello, Roland. Please, come in" she said while holding the door open for them.

"Dinner is almost ready, if you'd like to follow me to the kitchen while I get things ready.."

She didn't have to tell Robin twice as he was already following her.

"Oh, Roland, I left some white papers and colors on the table for you to play with, while we wait" upon hearing those words the boy started off towards the living room with the biggest smile on his face.

Regina made her way to the oven to check on the lasagna but it still wasn't ready. Well, someone had to break the ice sooner or later.

"So.. I noticed you don't wear a wedding ring. Are you divorced?" she whispered so Roland wouldn't hear. Maybe it was a delicate subject and she didn't want to upset the little boy.

"Uhm.. no. My wife died but it was a long time ago, before you even cast the curse. After our boy was born I inadvertedly put her in harms way during the job.."

"I'm so sorry" Regina whispered, lowering her gaze "I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.."

"I noticed you don't wear a wedding ring either. Did he run when he found out?" Robin asked, pointing at her belly.

Regina looked down and rested a hand on her baby bump "I-I actually don't even know who the father is.." she whispered and her voice broke a little "I wasn't in a relationship when we went back to the Enchanted Forest, so you can imagine how shocked I was to wake up and find out I was pregnant"

Robin couldn't take his eyes off her. It pained him to see on her face the same look of sadness he had seen so many years before. All he wanted was to see her beautiful smile again. "You know, I've heard many stories about the great and terrible Evil Queen.. but from this angle the evil moniker seems somewhat of an overstatement.." Regina looked him in the eyes but didn't interrupt him "bold and audacious, perhaps.. but not evil"

She felt herself blushing at his comment. He was the first person who didn't consider her evil. Except for Henry. "The name served me well. Fear is.. quite an effective tool."

Robin kept looking at her and Regina didn't know what to do or what to think. His blue eyes bore into her dark ones and she felt almost trapped. She wanted to look away but instead held his gentle gaze.

He started walking slowly towards her and her eyes dropped momentarily to his lips while her own parted slightly. Was he really going to kiss her? And was she going to let him, just like that?

She couldn't hide the slight disappointment from her face when he stretched his hand to her right to grab a couple of hot pads and bent to open the oven. She had gotten so caught in the moment that she didn't hear the alarm go off.

Dinner went smoothly, with the two of them making small talk about what happened in the Enchanted Forest during the first curse and how Robin and Roland had adjusted to Storybrooke. Regina's main focus was on the little boy, though. She found it hard to stifle a laugh as he stuffed the lasagna into his tiny mouth. He was precious.

"Your food is yummy, 'Gina!" Roland said while eating his second apple turnover "Daddy doesn't know how to cook"

She laughed out loud at the innocent comment and even more when she noticed the offended way Robin was looking at him.

"That's not true!"

"It is, papa! 'Gina is better!"

It swelled her heart with joy to have this small sign of approval by the boy. She was about to stand up but Robin stopped her "Let me do the dishes. At least _that_ I know how to do" he told her half smiling and half laughing at Roland's words. She wanted to argue that it wasn't necessary but the truth was she was quite tired, so she accepted his offer with a smile and handed him the plates "thank you"

"Roland, what do you say about watching a movie? Have you ever seen one before?" She asked the little boy with a smile.

His eyes lit up "Yes! I love 'em! I saw The Little Mermaid and one with many puppies and a scary lady who wanted to wear them" she laughed a little at his description of 101 Dalmatians and wondered if he had ever seen Archie's dog or if he knew he was 'that' Pongo.

"My son loves those movies too" her heart clenched as memories of her and Henry having movie nights flashed through her mind.

"Why isn't he here with us?"

How could she reply to this one? She certainly couldn't tell the 4-year-old that in order to undo the curse she had cast to get her revenge on Snow White she had to replace her son's memories of his childhood, meaning he now didn't even remember who she was.

She suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit her and ran to the bathroom, bending over the toilet to empty the contents of her stomach. What Regina certainly didn't expect was Robin rushing to her side to hold her hair back with one hand while stroking her back gently with the other. When she was done, she let herself lean back a little while she took a couple of deep breaths, knowing his arms were there, ready to support her.

"I don't know why they call it morning sickness if it lasts the whole day…"

Robin gave her a sympathetic look "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine.." He knew she was lying but decided not to say anything, trusting that she'd open up to him when she was ready to. It would probably take time but he would wait. Somehow, he had felt drawn to the woman since the moment he'd first laid eyes on her. Sure, her beauty was striking but he knew that it wasn't the only reason why he felt attracted to her. There was something else.

He helped her stand and waited for her by the door while she washed her mouth.

"I'll finish up the dishes then I'll join you two. You just relax"

Why was he being so nice to her? She did nothing to deserve such kindness from him. Well, from anyone, actually, but she also caused a car accident he was involved in. For the moment, she decided she'd just keep her thoughts and doubts to herself.

Regina let Roland pick the movie and waited for him to sit next to her on the couch to play the DVD. He had chosen "_Lady and the Tramp_" and started giggling in excitement when he saw the puppy on the screen. He obviously held a fascination for animals.

Roland nestled close to her, resting his head on her lap. Regina heard him yawn and smiled to herself. He was obviously very tired but was struggling to keep his eyes open. She took the blanket that was lying at the end of the couch and covered his small form, then started running her fingers through his hair in slow, soothing movements. Henry would often fall asleep like that when he was younger and she'd carry him to his room, careful not to wake him up. Of course, things had changed once he had started seeing her as the Evil Queen.

Roland fell asleep in a matter of minutes and Regina rested her head back against the couch, closing her eyes for a moment.

Robin watched the scene in front of him from the doorframe. He could see how Regina had already grown attached to his son. She clearly had a mother's touch. He went to sit on the couch next to her, so she was now between him and Roland.

"Are you feeling better?"

Regina turned her head slightly to the side to face him and their eyes locked. There was sincere concern in his eyes, which didn't go by unnoticed by the woman "Yes, thank you.."

"I overheard you two talking about your son earlier.. do you mind me asking what happened to him?"

The moment he saw her expression change, he gave a light squeeze to her hand. She wondered how he could read her so well.

"You can talk to me, Regina"

She took a deep, quivering breath before whispering "He's with his mother.."

Though she had come to accept Emma as Henry's mother, those words still hurt her deeply, even if she was the one to speak them. Seeing Robin frowning a little, she continued "I raised him but Emma, Snow and Charming's daughter, is his biological mother. When I undid the curse and brought us back to the Enchanted Forest, their memories were erased and I replaced them with happier ones, so.."

"So now he doesn't remember you.."

Regina nodded slowly and tears started pooling in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Regina. I can only imagine what you must be going through. If Roland were to forget about me I'd be devastated.." he whispered as both of them looked down at the little boy.

The next words were out of her mouth before she could even think about what she was saying but she didn't care. She needed someone to talk to, after two months of isolating herself from everyone, and Robin seemed to be a kind and trustworthy man she could actually open up a little to.

"I'm just so tired of being alone.." Regina whispered as a few tears ran silently down her cheeks. "You know, yesterday I went to the mall because I realized I had to start preparing the nursery, but when I got to the shop.. I couldn't even get in. This feels wrong, I shouldn't be doing this alone. I don't _want _to do this alone"

Robin couldn't bear to see her fall apart like that. He pulled her gently into him so her head rested on his shoulder and she gripped his arm for support. He felt her go a little tense at the contact at first but she eventually relaxed against him.

Regina just wanted to let it all out, she was tired of keeping all that pain buried inside. She covered her mouth with the other hand, afraid her whimpers would wake up Roland. Robin let her cry in his embrace for a while but she couldn't stop, so he eventually pulled away a little, just enough to lift her chin and make her look into his eyes "Regina, you're not alone. I'm here for you and I won't let you go through all of this alone, I promise."

"Why are you so kind to me?" she whispered as more tears fell from her eyes.

"Because I don't think you're evil. You're only human and you made mistakes in your past but you deserve to find happiness. We all deserve a second chance and you are no exception to that" he sounded so sure of himself that she managed to nod her head slightly and stop the tears.

Suddenly, though, she felt a twitch in her stomach and she looked down as she rested both her hands on her belly.

"Is something wrong?" Robin asked, taken aback by her sudden movement.

"I.." she waited to feel it again and, when she did, she looked up at him with a smile on her face and fresh tears in her eyes. They were tears of joy this time around. Regina grabbed his hand to rest it gently on her baby bump, right beneath hers.

He felt nothing at first but when he felt the small movement beneath his hand he looked at Regina and smiled.

"It's the first time I feel the baby kick.." the woman whispered as she looked down again in complete awe

"You promise you'll help me through this?" her voice was hesitant and she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Of course I will"

They stayed like that for a while, Robin's right arm around her as theirs hands rested on her belly, feeling the small movements that had them both smiling each time.

For once, Regina felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be, she didn't know what was between her and the man sitting beside her but it felt right.

* * *

**_A/N: Sooo? Was I right? Did you or didn't you just loooove this chapter? That last scene with Robin and Regina feeling the baby kicking for the first time just gave me soooo many feels, I still haven't recovered from it! Let me know if it was the was for you x_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Hello everyone! I'm so happy you all liked chapter 3! That last scene was freakin' adorable, wasn't it? Thank you for all your amazing reviews, so keep 'em coming, you have no idea how happy it makes me to know you like this ff :)_**

**_Anyway, here's chapter 4! As I mentioned before, t_****_here are some scenes from the episodes that I tried to fit into the story. S_****_o if there's any scene/dialogue you recognize then it's taken directly from the show, I do not own it._**

**__****__****_Enjoy!_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters._**

* * *

Chapter 4

Time was flying by. During the month following the dinner at Regina's house, she put all her effort into finding a way to restore Henry's memory. The potion Hook gave Emma was barely enough for one person. Regina tried to replicate it but the attempt failed miserably.

She was determined to find a spell or whatever could help her, so she started rummaging through Rumplestiltskin's spell books. She brought several of them home so she could examine them properly and would often fall asleep on the couch surrounded by piles of books while others had been thrown to the floor in frustration. Sometimes she even forget to eat or sleep, so Robin started dropping by every evening to make sure she did.

The possible scenarios were usually two: she would either try to fight him saying she was finally close to finding something, though they both knew it wasn't true, or she would cry in his arms out of desperation. Though she was growing heavier as time went by, he still managed to carry her to her bedroom when she felt too exhausted to walk.

Robin found himself willing to do anything for her. He knew he was falling for the woman but he also knew that at the moment she could think of nothing except her son and he didn't want to push her. He'd just have to wait.

Other things had happened as well. Emma and Killian had been busy with their search for whoever had cursed the Enchanted Forest inhabitants and their works eventually paid off. They had found an apparently abandoned house in the woods but, upon closer inspection, it wasn't so abandoned after all. They had found a cellar next to the house and figured by the straw and gold lying on the floor that Rumplestiltskin had been held captive there.

What no one had expected, though, was that he had been brought back by Neal and bringing back the Dark One required the highest sacrifice. Neal died in Emma's arms after she managed to use her magic to separate their bodies, since Rumplestiltskin had united them to keep his son alive. He died a hero, though, sacrificing himself so Rumplestiltskin could tell them who they were up against. It broke Emma's heart having to tell Henry that his father had died knowing that the only thing he knew about him was that he was the jerk who had let Emma go to jail.

Robin picked Regina up at her house on the day of the funeral. She wasn't particularly close to Neal but he was Henry's father, after all. Her heart clenched when she saw her son standing over his father's grave, knowing he didn't even remember meeting him. The worst, though, was that Robin had to keep her from going over to Henry and hold him close to her like she wanted to. It would just confuse the boy for she was nothing but a stranger to him, she knew that, but she couldn't bear to look at the tears running down his cheeks knowing she couldn't wipe them away.

Robin offered her his hand and she held onto it as if her life depended on it, as she tried to choke back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes.

The closest she got to her son was with a shake of hands when she offered him her condolences, but he looked right through her and Robin had to help her reach the car to avoid breaking down in front of everyone. No words were needed, he knew exactly what was going through her mind and no words would comfort her.

"Are you sure you want to go to Granny's anyway?" he asked quietly as he fastened his seat belt.

She nodded "I need to see that at least he's doing fine, I need to be there with my son.. even if he doesn't remember me"

The diner was full of people dressed in black who were chatting quietly, remembering past events involving Neal. Mostly, people whispered, for most memories were related to the Enchanted Forest and Neverland, and they couldn't risk freaking Henry out.

Regina approached Emma and, much to the blonde's surprise, pulled her into a hug "I'm so sorry for your loss, Emma.."

"Thank you.." she returned the hug before pulling away to look at Regina "How have you been doing? We haven't seen you in quite some time"

"It doesn't matter, I just want to know how _he_'s doing" the brunette turned a little and they both looked at Henry, who was sitting in a booth, sipping his cocoa, while talking with David and Mary Margaret, who was holding Lucas in her arms.

"He's dealing with it his own way. It's hard but he has no memories of him.. If he had, I think it would've been much worse"

"So, Rumple told you who's behind all of this?" Regina asked, turning to face Emma once more.

"Yes, it's Zelena.. who actually turns out to be the Wicked Witch of the West"

"Wait.. isn't she the midwife who helped Snow with her baby?"

"Yeah, she is. And that doesn't help us at all, we can't figure out what's her agenda. I mean, it would've been one thing if she had targeted Mary Margaret and the baby, which thanks heaven she didn't, but this just makes things more confusing."

Regina tried to think of a possible explanation for the whole situation but she just couldn't find one "I think we should discuss this together. All of us" she whispered motioning to the other people in the diner "Maybe we can come up with something."

Emma nodded, a little taken aback by Regina's new found team spirit but much too worried about the threat hanging over them to linger on it. She watched as Emma walked towards Henry and asked him to go to the apartment for a while, saying they had to take care of some things.

Robin, who had been talking with Leroy in the meantime, made his way towards Regina, who had just sat with a little difficulty on one of the bar stools. He had left Roland with his Merry Men, not wanting his 4-year-old to attend a funeral. She looked tired, much more than usual. He didn't say a word, there was no need to. He simply stood next to her and rested a hand on her back, stroking it softly, hoping the soothing movement would at least bring her some comfort.

Granny locked the door and turned the sign hanging on it, which now indicated that the diner was closed.

"Alright people, as you all know already, we discovered who cursed us. The Wicked Witch." Emma said, looking at the people around her "Now, what we have to figure out is why she did it and what she wants from us.."

Emma's speech was interrupted when the door flew open and everyone turned to look at the red-haired woman who was standing on the doorway.

"Well, you could've just asked, dear."

Everyone froze as she looked around. Some took a step back out of fear while others looked at her angrily and defiantly. Snow held Lucas protectively against her chest and David stood in front of them to protect them in case the witch tried to hurt them.

"My condolences" she said as she looked around innocently "I'm so sorry I missed the funeral, but I could never pass up a wake. Oh, did I miss the speeches? Shall I make one? I mean, I am, after all, responsible.." she smirked when her eyes landed on Emma.

The blonde tried to make a move but her mother held her back, preventing her from trying to strangle the woman with her bare hands, whispering "Emma, no! Too many people will get hurt."

"Listen to your mother, she's right. Anyone who tries to interfere with my plan is gonna have to deal with the Dark One." she held the dagger in her right hand to show them she wasn't bluffing and it would've only taken a second to summon the Rumplestiltskin.

"Why are you here?" Regina asked as she threw the woman a menacing glare.

"Now that my cover's blown I can finally pay a visit to my little sister!" Zelena said matter-of-factly as she took slow steps towards Regina.

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Why, you, of course, Regina."

Their faces were now mere inches apart but Regina didn't move and instead narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm an only child."

"Cora lied to you, Regina. I'm your sister. Half, if you want to get technical"

"Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Oh, you shouldn't. It's a lot to swallow, which is why I brought a gift to help!" the

"I don't want a gift from you" Regina said as she let out a humorless laugh.

"Oh, but you shall have it. You see, my gift to you is time. Three months, if I'm not mistaken" She glanced down at her belly and Regina lifted her right hand to rest it protectively on her baby bump "Use it to dig into our past, Regina. You need to learn the truth and you must believe it. You'll spend this time knowing that your own son doesn't even remember you, knowing that you're utterly alone and knowing that there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Then what?" Regina asked defiantly, clearly irritated by the witch's words and, above all, by her arrogance.

"Then I'm going to take everything away from you" Zelena's whisper sent shivers down her spine. Then, she was gone. She disappeared in a cloud of green smoke and a cackle was left to echo in the diner, taunting the silent group of people.

"Regina.." Robin tried to touch her but she flinched.

"Take me home." It was a barely audible whisper that only Robin was able to hear. Her voice was empty, as if it had been drained of all emotion, and it scared him.

* * *

The ride to her house was quiet. Neither of them spoke, though Robin desperately wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. The moment he stopped the car, she got out without saying a word. He sat there, trying to decide whether to follow her or to leave her alone for a while.

Having spent quite some time with Regina during the past month, he knew she'd probably want to be alone, but he wanted to protect her, to comfort her as much as he could, to simply be there for her. So, he got out of the car and followed her into the house before she could shut the door.

She didn't even look at him, she just pretended he wasn't even there and started walking slowly towards the living room. Robin didn't want her to shut him out, so she was only able to take a couple of steps before he walked in front of her "Regina.."

"You have to leave." She cut him off abruptly. She didn't even look him in the eyes, she was just staring into space, and tried to move past him, but the man didn't let her, so she turned around, headed for the stairs.

"Regina, talk to me!" He grabbed her arm but she jerked it free and spun around to face him and she felt tears burning in the back of her eyes.

She tried to shove him but she wasn't strong enough to actually make him step back "You have to leave! I don't want you here, I don't want you and Roland anywhere near me! If she speaks the truth and wants to take everything away from me, then you can't stay, because I couldn't go through the pain of losing you, don't you understand that?" She was practically screamed at him as tears clouded her sight.

He cupped her cheeks and looked into her dark, beautiful eyes.

"I understand that better than you think, Regina, because I can't imagine losing you either.." She tried to look away but he lowered his head a little so she had no choice but to look at him "I mean it, Regina. You are the the strongest, smartest and most beautiful woman I've ever met and I can't imagine my life without you anymore. I don't care what that witch wants to do to you but I'll stand by your side and I'll protect you.."

Tears were falling freely down her cheeks and for a moment he wondered if it was a good idea to open up to her completely but, in the end, he decided to do it. She needed to know that he truly meant what he had just said. He needed her to know how he felt.

"I love you, Regina."

He leaned in but waited for her to close the space between them, for it was her decision whether to do so or not and he would accept it. And she did. The moment their lips touched, everything else disappeared. The witch and the other problems completely forgotten, they simply let go and lost themselves in each other.

* * *

**_A/N: Aren't they just adorable? I loved writing that last part sooo much! Well, can't wait to know what you thought about it :) x_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: First of all, I'm so excited OUAT got picked up for season 4 (not that I had any doubt about it), and I guess all of you are as well! Can't wait to see the season finale, I hope there will be many cute Outlaw Queen scenes :)_**

**_Secondly, I want to apologize again for the wait. Trust me, I would update more often if I could. Sadly, though, I have 10 exams coming up, starting on tuesday and the last one is in July, so you'll just have to be patient. I promise I'll update more often when I'm done studying, I can't wait to get more free time to write!_**

**_So, about this chapter, there's some medical stuff in here so bear in mind a couple of things: this ff is not beta'd, english is not my first language and, anyway, I'm 20 and know nothing about this stuff. I just did a lot of research to be as accurate as possible._**

**_Enjoy the chapter and please _****_review_****_ to let me know what you think about it, even if you don't like what I wrote, because it really helps me improve my writing._**

**_x_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time nor its characters._**

* * *

Chapter 5

They spent the night cuddling in bed. Neither of them could sleep, still too shaken by the witch's threat. Robin held her close, rubbing her back in slow, soothing movements, while she rested her head on his chest and drew invisible patterns on his stomach. The sound of his beating heart was comforting, calming even. At least she knew he was safe, which was all that mattered to her at the moment.

Regina tried to close her eyes a couple of times but, when she did, memories of Daniel's lifeless body in her arms invaded her mind and she held Robin even closer to her. He would sense her discomfort and try to calm her down by whispering to her that he was there for her and placing tender kisses on her forehead.

"Hey, I was thinking, how about I start helping you with the nursery tomorrow?" He said in an attempt to distract her.

Regina looked up at him, trying to decide whether he was being serious or not "The nursery?"

"Yes, I do believe the baby will need one, don't you think so?" he said smiling at her.

Regina turned slightly so she lay on her back and rested her hands on her belly, following her baby's small movements. The kicking had increased a little over the past month but it was okay, it didn't hurt too much. On the contrary, Regina quite enjoyed feeling her baby kick. There was a small life growing inside of her and it made her heart swell with joy. Until now, at least, because after Zelena's threat, feeling her baby kick just reminded her that it was all going to be taken away from her.

"It would be a waste of time, don't you think?" A tear streamed down the corner of her eye and she looked at Robin to see him propping his head up, looking at her quizzically "That woman said she's going to take everything away from me, with a non-so-subtle reference to my unborn child. What use would it be to build a nursery if he or she never even got to spend a night there before being taken away from me?"

Robin's eyes filled with sadness but, before speaking, he kissed Regina. The kiss was worth a thousand words. _I'm here for you. I'll protect you. I love you._

"Regina, don't think like that. I already told you, I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you from that monster. Both of you.." He added, resting his hand on top of hers to feel the kicks "But we _are_ building that nursery" he smiled at her encouragingly and she couldn't help but smile back and nod her head.

"I don't even know if it's a girl or a boy.. I'll have to call Dr Whale to make an appointment. Will you come with me?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Robin gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and Regina took his hand in hers, bringing it to her mouth so she could kiss his palm tenderly.

She turned to lie on her side and Robin pulled her closer to him so he could spoon her.

"She said her gift to you is time. Well, even though I know for sure that nothing will happen to you, because she'd have to step over my dead body to get to you, I have no intention of wasting this gift of hers. I want to enjoy every moment with you, good or bad. I will always be here for you"

The moment he whispered those words, she knew he meant every single one of them and, for once in her life, she decided to simply take a leap of faith and trust the man who seemed to have fallen head over heels for her.

* * *

A week later, Robin was driving Regina to the doctor's appointment. It was all new to him, so Regina had to explain many things to the man, knowing how weird and new everything was to his eyes.

"So, in this world, you're able to see the baby before it is born? What sort of magic is able to do that?" Regina was hardly able to stifle a laugh, he looked puzzled, he had never heard of such a thing before "It's not magic, it's just technology. And we'll just be able to see a picture of the baby, not the baby itself"

"Have you done this before?"

"No. I should have but with everything that's happened lately I.." she felt a little ashamed. All she had been thinking about was Henry and how to bring his memories back, ignoring completely her appointments with Whale "I just couldn't do it.."

Robin took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze, smiling but not taking his eyes off the road "It's okay. You're doing it now, that's all that matters, right?"

"Right" She didn't let go of his hand, it gave her courage and she needed every bit of it.

* * *

A nurse led them to the ultrasound room, where Dr Whale greeted them. He told Regina to lie on the exam table and Robin followed her so he stood next to her.

"So, Regina, this is your first ultrasound?" Dr Whale asked and she just nodded in response.

"Okay, then. It's a simple procedure, there's nothing to be scared of and I assure you it is not painful, neither for you nor the baby. The exam allows us to check how your baby is doing, if his lungs are developing correctly and other things" he said giving her a reassuring smile "Lift your shirt so we can start. I have to warn you, this is going to be a little cold"

Regina did as he asked and raised her shirt until it was just below her breasts. Robin could see how nervous she was so he held her left hand in both of his and smiled at her. She shivered when the cold gel hit her skin but after a while she barely noticed. She looked up at Robin to find comfort in the sweet look his ocean blue eyes held. It was all she needed to calm down.

Whale placed the device on top of the gel and started moving it slowly to find the baby's heart. Regina started to panic a little when she saw nothing but grey and black shadows moving on the screen.

Then, all of a sudden, the picture became clearer and they heard a little noise coming from the machine. Regina let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding when she realised that she was listening to her baby's heartbeat.

Whale pointed at the screen "See that small flicker right here? That's the heart. The heartbeat is strong, which is great. Then you can see the arms and the legs. Everything's perfectly fine. Would you like to know the sex?"

Whale had to ask her twice, for she was staring at the screen in awe and didn't seem to pay attention to anything that the doctor was saying. Robin himself was having a hard time listening to Whale's words. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, he could've listened to that sound all day.

Regina nodded and Whale moved the device to get a better view "Looks like you're having a healthy little girl"

Regina turned to look at Robin and, for the first time, he saw tears of joy pooling in her eyes before making their way down her cheeks "It's a girl!"

She truly couldn't be happier and lifted her head a little to meet Robin's lips halfway before they both went back to watching the screen.

"So, are you the father?" Whale asked trying to defuse the tension, a little taken aback by such a display of affection, since the former queen was involved.

Regina turned to him, looking quite sad "If you recall, we lost a year of our memories before being dragged back to Storybrooke. I already told you I don't know who the father is"

"I just figured.. Since you two look so close.."

"Well, technically, anything could've happened during that year we spent in the Enchanted Forest.." Robin said.

"But maybe we never even met there.."

"Actually, there would be a way to find out if the baby you're carrying is Robin's." Whale interrupted, gaining their complete attention "It's called amniocentesis. It's an exam that can, among other things, act as a paternity test.."

"Then I'll do it!"

"Wait, Regina. The exam doesn't come without risks. Even though it's quite safe, I need to inform you about the procedure before you consent to it. Amniocentesis is done by gently putting a needle in your belly in order to take out of your uterus a small amount of amniotic fluid. You're in the third trimester now, so the risk would be to cause a premature labor. Your girl's lungs are not fully developed yet so, if you were to deliver her now.."

"..she would die" Regina completed his sentence, her hand absent-mindedly rubbing the side of her belly.

"Could you give us a minute?"

Whale left the room and Robin looked at her, frowning "I hope you're not seriously considering this madness!"

The thought of endangering the baby's life sent shivers running down his spine and Regina's weak voice, as she whispered his name, only increased his fear "You heard what he said! She could die!"

She closed her eyes to push back the tears.

"Regina, I will love and protect her either way, I don't need to know if I'm her father.."

"But I do!" She bursted out, causing Robin to fall silent "I need to know, because I can't bear the thought of not knowing whose child I'm carrying inside of me. Heaven knows what happened in the Enchanted Forest during our missing year! Zelena turned one of her winged beasts into a man and sent him to New York to keep an eye on Emma, resulting on her almost marrying the monster. That witch is out to get some sort of revenge against me, who knows what she might have done to me back in our land! For all I know, I could be carrying the Devil's child in my womb!"

It was just one of the many possibilities that had crossed her mind after finding out she was pregnant and it scared her, she couldn't deny it nor hide it. Tears were falling freely down her face and Robin's heart broke at the sight. He cupped her face with his hands and ran his thumbs softly across her cheeks to wipe away the tears.

"The only thing that could help me erase these awful thoughts from my mind would be finding out that she is _your _daughter" she whispered, resting her hands on his, her eyes locked with his deep, blue ones "I'm not asking for your permission, I'm just hoping that you will support my decision and stand by my side.."

He smiled and placed a tender kiss on her forehead "Always"


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: before I forget, I wanted to reply to a guest who wrote in a review that Regina cries too much and it's getting annoying. Sadly, I know. I've been told this once before (concerning another OQ fanfiction) but I think I'm somehow projecting my feelings onto her. I guess that's why I always go down the dramatic/angsty path. I'll try to limit her crying scenes but I can't promise much, especially knowing what I've got planned for later chapters (I know, I can be such a sadistic bitch sometimes) hahaha hope you enjoy the fic anyway :)_**

**_This chapter is mostly taken from the show, since I'm using the WW storyline (it will take a slightly different turn, though). I really needed to add this scene to clarify where we are in the story and took the opportunity to explore a little Emma and Regina's relationship. I really hope it's not too boring._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, its characters nor any scene you might recognize from the show._**

* * *

Chapter 6

"I'm never gonna get this…" Emma sighed in defeat.

While looking for something, anything actually, that might help them defeat the Wicked Witch, Regina had found an old letter in her vault. She hadn't seen it in years but remembered every word of it. It belonged to her mother. Rumplestiltskin had sent it to her to tell her he had finally gotten his hands on her first born, who was, according to him, the most powerful sorceress he had ever encountered.

Regina had read that letter a hundred times. In her darkest moments she'd read it to find comfort, solace, for a boost, when she needed it. But now she realised those words were not about her, because he was talking about Zelena. If the man who had taught her everything she knew about magic thought the witch was more powerful than her, there was no way Regina could defeat her.

So, she had agreed to teach Emma how to control her magic, thinking that maybe together they would be able to overpower her.

The two women were standing in Regina's vault. She was trying to teach Emma the basics using her mother's book but it was proving to be useless.

"Is this how Rumple taught you? Just think about your training, what other methods did he use?"

"Rumple was a bully. He didn't suffer fools and he certainly didn't coddle his students. And if he tried to teach you how to swim and you couldn't learn, you drowned."

"Drowned?"

Regina turned to look at her with a smile that creeped the blonde out a little "That's it.." She needed to be pushed to get it all out and Regina knew exactly to do that.

Before Emma could say a word, Regina raised her hands and both of them were engulfed by a cloud of purple smoke. When the blonde opened her eyes again, her heart began pounding in her chest, for she was standing on a suspension bridge that clearly hadn't been used in many years. They were in the middle of the forest and, when she looked down, she noticed that the bridge crossed a river, which ran 90 feet below.

She gripped the ropes at her sides, fearing the old planks would collapse under her weight any moment.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed, looking up at the brunette who was smiling at her.

"Teaching you to swim."

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"Every time you've exhibited your power, it's been spurred by instincts. So, today, we're going to push those instincts until you master them." Regina said matter-of-factly.

"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now!"

"You can stop me.." the brunette smirked and Emma knew it couldn't mean anything good.

"Stop you from what?"

"This." with a quick movement of her hand, Regina sent the planks flying in the air one after the other and Emma didn't fall only because she was still gripping the ropes while balancing herself on a small piece of wood that connected them.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Making the bridge collapse." she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world "You can either stop me.. or die."

Emma wondered if trusting Regina had been a mistake. Perhaps she hadn't changed and it had all been just a way to finally kill her. Maybe she would never change. As those thoughts crossed her mind, the wood under her feet broke and Emma was left to hang on to the ropes "Regina, enough! Stop this!"

"No, _you _stop it! No more hand-holding, you _have_ to do this! Reach into your gut, you know you can do this. It's inside you, Emma!"

The blonde looked at the rope in horror as it started breaking.

"Save the bridge. Save yourself!"

Regina was confident that she would make it. Emma had more power inside her that she realized. Perhaps she had pushed too far, though, for the rope snapped and she watched as Emma hurtled down. Fear gripped her heart. Had she really just killed Henry's biological mother? She was supposed to be the savior, she couldn't die like that.

Just as she took a step forward to see where Emma was, the blonde appeared in front of her, standing on the wooden planks that had rearranged under her to lift her up.

"Did I just do that?"

"Yes. When all I wanted was for you to retie the rope." Regina bit back.

"It's like you said.. instinct!" the brunette's annoyed behaviour didn't go unnoticed, though "Why are you pissed? I did it, why does it matter how?"

"You think I'm mad because you didn't listen to me? I'm mad because look at all this potential inside of you.. and you've been wasting it!"

Emma couldn't tell Regina she was wrong because she _had_ been wasting it. She didn't think she had it in her to do something like that and she couldn't stop staring at the river. She could've died in a matter of seconds.

"Thank you.." she whispered to Regina.

"For what?"

"For believing in me"

If a couple of years back someone had told them they would've ended teaming up and helping each other to defeat a witch , they both would've laughed at the crazy idea. After saving Henry in Neverland, though, the two had come to respect one another, even if Emma still saw Regina as the Evil Queen that separated her from her family. Things had changed completely when Emma and Henry had to go to New York. Regina didn't have to give them good memories, she could've simply done nothing and leave a hole in their memory. It might have been easier to get Henry to believe their story, once they found a way to get back.

But she _did_ give them happy memories, even if it meant her son would never remember who she was, or wouldn't believe it, anyway, because in his head he had spent his whole life with Emma.

It was a selfless, kind action, that earned Regina the blonde's complete trust. Maybe one day they would even become friends, Emma though, smiling to herself at the idea.

* * *

The moment Regina arrived home, she kicked her shoes off and headed upstairs. As she made her way down the hallway to her room, she sensed something was off. There was a weird smell in the air.

The guest room's door was ajar but she remembered clearly it was closed when she had left the house, plus there was some light coming out of the opening. She stepped towards the room, careful not to make any noise, ready to throw a fireball at the intruder. She pushed the door open slowly, until she was able to peek inside.

The room, which she had previously emptied of all furniture, smelled of fresh paint. The floor had been covered with newspaper pages to prevent the paint from staining it. She opened to door completely to reveal Robin behind it. The previously plain, white wall in front of him was now a beautiful shade of baby pink. The man was standing on a ladder to reach the top left corner of the wall and climbed down when he noticed Regina standing on the doorway. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that already had many pink stains on it.

"Hey, I thought you were going to be gone the whole day"

"H-How did you get in?" Regina was still looking at the wall, still amazed he would do this for her.

"Have you already forgotten I was a thief back in our land?" he chuckled "Locked doors aren't exactly a problem for me. I wanted to surprise you."

"That you did" she turned to look at him and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Well, there are still three walls to paint. Care to join me?"

He held out his right arm to hand her the brush, as an invitation. Her smile vanished when she looked down and, for the first time, she noticed a tattoo on his wrist.

_A lion tattoo._

* * *

**_A/N: To tease you a little: just wait till you find out what I have in store for you! You're gonna looove chapter 7 ;)_**

**_P.S._**

**_They still don't know who the father is, sorry if that wasn't clear. Trust me, when they find out you'll know :)_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: Guys, you're the best! I still can't believe so many people are following this story and your reviews literally make my day!_**

**_Thank you for sticking with the story. I'm sorry for not being able to update more often, I wish I could, but I'm in the middle of my finals and the situation is a little hectic. _**

**_I just wanted to thank JustMe-Liz, for being such a great friend to me and asking me to join the Dream Team. She is amazing and she's an outstanding writer. So, if you haven't yet, go check out her stories right now!_**

**_Enjoy this chapter :) _**

**_x_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, its characters nor any scene you might recognize from the show._**

* * *

Chapter 7

Regina tried to speak but, no matter how hard she tried, the words just wouldn't come out. Her head was spinning and all color drained from her face. Robin must've noticed how pale she was, because, just as her knees started to give out, he caught her in his arms, preventing her from hitting the floor.

"Regina, what's wrong?"

His voice sounded so distant to her. She felt sort of numb at first, then she started shaking so violently it scared both her and Robin. She couldn't move, so the man lifted her up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed gently.

"Regina, talk to me! Please, say something!"

But how could she talk when she couldn't even breathe properly? Her eyes couldn't seem able to concentrate on anything as they wondered from his forearm to his face just to end up staring into space. She couldn't quite make out what Robin was saying, all she heard was the ringing in her ears, as if she were going to faint, combined with a strong wave of nausea.

Robin helped Regina reach her bedroom then took his cell phone out of the pocket and started dialing the hospital's number as fast as he could. Regina couldn't focus on what he was saying, though, too worried about what was happening to her to pay attention to the call. She felt a tingling sensation in her fingers and toes, which added to the chills that made her shiver even more.

She couldn't understand what was happening to her body. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she was hyperventilating. She felt Robin cupping her cheeks to force her to look at him, but her eyes just couldn't focus on his. For a moment she felt as if she was even detaching from her own body. Fear gripped her heart and didn't seem willing to let go. She felt as if she were going to die and just couldn't bring herself to believe otherwise.

Robin ran down the stairs when the doorbell rang, not at all happy about leaving the woman alone in that state even for a second. He led Dr Whale upstairs to Regina's room and forced himself to wait on the doorway, giving the doctor the space he needed to examine her. It didn't take him long to find out what was wrong with the woman.

"Regina, you're having a panic attack." His voice was calm but she didn't seem to listen to a word he was saying "You must try and calm down, this isn't good for the baby, Regina"

Robin couldn't stand there doing nothing any longer. He flashed to her side and sat next to her, taking her shivering hands in his.

"Regina, it's okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Regina, look at me!" he knew he probably sounded a little harsh but at least he got her to look at him. He hadn't noticed how puffy and red her eyes were, due to the tears she couldn't hold back. Her eyes locked with his, Robin turned just for a second seeking Whale's permission to try calming her down "Regina, I need you to take deep breaths, okay? Can you do that for me?"

He started breathing slowly until her breathing was synchronized with his. In through the nose and out through the mouth, again and again until Regina started to relax a little. Her eyes were still glued to his. The shivering eventually stopped and she relaxed enough to lie back on the bed.

Robin moved next to her on the other side of the bed so Whale could move freely to examine her.

After a few minutes, he put his things back into his bag "You're going to be okay, Regina, but a panic attack is not to be taken lightly. It's not good, neither for you nor your baby." Her free hand flew immediately to her belly and Robin was quick to cover it with his own "Panic attacks are usually caused by a stressful situation but I know it varies from one person to the other. I'm not a psychiatrist, so I advise you to talk about this with Dr Hopper."

"Thank you.." she whispered. Her voice was weak and hoarse "But I.. I know what caused this.."

Robin left her side reluctantly to escort Dr Whale out. When he came back into the room, Regina was curled up on her side. He helped her get under the covers, then closed the windows.

"He said you should try and get some rest" He kissed her forehead lovingly and she took his hand before he could leave her side.

"Stay with me.. please" her voice almost broke at her own words.

Robin didn't say a word, he just took his shoes off and slipped into the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist, resting his hand with hers on her bump.

Regina knew what had caused the panic attack but she didn't know how to tell him. She would have to find a way to do it, though, it was the only way to protect him.

* * *

The baby's kicks woke Regina up. She must've turned during her sleep, for she was now facing Robin, who was still sleeping soundly. She reached up to run her fingers through his hair before resting her hand on his cheek, gently stroking it with her thumb.

He started stirring and slowly opened his eyes. Regina had left the lamp on the bedside table on, so there was enough light for her to look into his deep blue eyes. She saw so much love in them, so much devotion and so much worry that she couldn't keep herself from slowly closing the distance between them to kiss his perfect lips, tracing his lower lip with her thumb once she had pulled away.

"Regina, what happened earlier?"

"It's a long story" she whispered, averting her eyes, but he lifted her chin gently to look back into them.

"Please, tell me. You scared me, Regina.."

"I'm sorry. I truly am.." A tear dropped from the corner of her eye and fell on the pillow without her realizing it.

"You can tell me everything, you know that"

Regina took a deep breath before starting to speak. How do you tell someone he's your soulmate? She didn't want him to freak out. After all, she still couldn't wrap her head around the idea that he loved her, the Evil Queen, what would keep him from running away once she told him he was her supposedly true love?

"I.. Many years ago I met a fairy, Tinker Bell. I was in a very dark place at the time. I had just lost the man I loved and had been forced by my mother to marry the king, who was thrice my age. I blamed Snow White for all of that, that's the reason I cast the curse. Darkness and hate had started eating me alive and this fairy wanted to help me. She said she could help me find my happy ending. She said I needed love and used pixie dust to help me find my soulmate. But I was too afraid and I just ran. I could've been happy but I threw it all away.."

"I don't understand" Robin said, frowning "How does this have to do with your panic attack?"

"When Tinker Bell used the pixie dust to lead me to my true love, I ran before I could even see his face. But there was something I _did_ see. A tattoo, inked on his wrist.." Regina took his right hand in hers and held it up a little so she could trace the tattoo "_This_ tattoo.."

She looked up at him, trying to read his expression, not really knowing which reaction to expect from him.

He took her by surprise by drawing a breath of relief before smiling at her.

"Thank God, I was ready to fight this '_true love_' of yours if it actually came down to it" he placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then pulled away to look into her dark eyes once more.

Regina couldn't hide the relief she felt, knowing he accepted her as his soulmate, and snuggled closer to him. His strong arms wrapped around her instantly and he buried his face in her hair, taking in her sweet smell. She smelled like flowers and cinnamon. It was intoxicating.

"Why did you panic?" he asked.

"Because I thought about Zelena.." she hesitated before letting the next few words escape her mouth. It was an important step in their relationship, it shouldn't have been rushed due to a psychopathic bitch who was trying to destroy her "I want you and Roland to move here. If something _did_ happen between us in the Enchanted Forest, Zelena might know and she could come after you and Roland to get to me. I can't take that risk."

"Don't you think that, if she knew, she would've come after us already?" He shared her concern about Roland's safety, though. He wouldn't risk his life for anything in the world.

"There's no way of knowing for sure right now.."

They both started getting out of bed.

"Okay, I'll go pack our things and I'll bring him here right away, then"

"And in the meantime, I'll put a protection spell around the house to keep that witch out.."

"Can't Emma do it?" he asked, earning a frown and a questioning look from Regina.

"You don't think I'm not capable enough to do it myself?" She couldn't believe he didn't trust her magical abilities to the point of asking such a thing, considering Emma was technically her student.

Robin circled the bed and sat on his knees in front of the woman.

"That's not it.. I just don't know if it's wise for you to use magic while you're pregnant. One thing I know about magic is that it always comes with a price."

It still surprised her how much worry he showed about her well-being. She could feel he truly cared about her, which made her wonder if perhaps she should listen to him. She didn't want any harm to come to her baby so, for once, she would put her pride aside and do as he asked.

"All right, I'll call her.."

"Thank you" He whispered, leaning in to press a kiss on her bump before standing up to capture her lips in a kiss that showed her just how much he loved her.

* * *

They didn't have much, just a couple of bags full of clothes, which made things easy when they moved to Regina's house.

"Are we really going to live here?" The boy asked looking at his surrounding, awestruck. He had lived in the forest most of his life, Regina's house was like a castle to his young eyes.

"Yes, you are" he heard Regina's voice as she emerged from the living room. Roland's eyes lit up when he saw her walking towards them and started squirming in his father's arms in an attempt to reach her.

She stopped in front of them to kiss the boy's cheek as he threw his arms around her neck. Robin didn't let go of him, though, knowing that Regina's back wouldn't be able to bear such weight.

"You'll even have your own bedroom!" Regina tried to mask her pain with a smile. It was enough for the offspring but not for Robin, who gave her a questioning look. They hadn't discussed the sleeping arrangements but he knew there were no more empty rooms in the house. Except for Henry's. He broke a little at the sudden realization and knew she was struggling to keep herself together, for she was deliberately avoiding his eyes.

"Really?" Roland's eyes widened even more at the statement.

"Regina, you don't need to.."

"It's okay" she interrupted him, not taking her eyes off the child's smile and his dimples.

After dinner, Robin did the dishes while Regina went upstairs to tuck Roland into bed. When she set foot into Henry's room, her heart started beating wildly in her chest. She looked around while Roland changed into his pyjamas. There were 11 years of memories hanging on the wall, sitting on his desk and on the shelves. It was all exactly the way he had left it.

She picked up a photo that sat on the nightstand and traced Henry's face with her fingers. The picture had been taken when he was one year old. It was the first time he saw snow and there was plenty. She had taken his outside so he could play in it. He had been walking for a month or so and, as soon as she had set him down on the snow-covered grass, he had started slowly walking around, then going faster, which had resulted in him falling and being completely covered in snow in no time. Never once had he cried for the fall, though. Way too amazed by the white flakes falling all around him, he had simply started giggling.

Regina's heart shattered a little bit more as her mind went back to those days. So carefree and filled with happiness instead of worry. She only hoped it would be possible for them to create memories like that again.

She put the picture back in its place and waited for Roland to slip under the covers before pulling them up and patting the blankets snuggly around him.

"'Gina?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Why did we come to live here?"

His voice was so innocent and full of curiosity, she gathered his father hadn't told him about the witch "Well, there's a bad lady in town that we are looking for. We don't know what she's up to, yet, and I figured it would be safer for you two to stay here. I protected the house so she can't hurt you" she smiled at him reassuringly and poked his nose with her index finger.

"Okay" he frowned a little at her words and his mind started filling with images of a woman hiding in the dark outside the house just waiting for him to fall asleep before doing whatever she pleased with him.

"Goodnight, Roland" Regina pressed a kiss to his forehead and turned off the light on the nightstand.

"Goodnight, 'Gina"

Regina felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Hormones only seemed to amplify her emotions, as if she didn't feel sad enough. She just wanted Henry back in her arms. She tried to push the thought out of her mind, it was too painful. She changed into a nightgown and finally got into bed, breathing in relief. Her back ached and lying in bed seemed to be the only thing able to ease the pain.

She wondered why Robin was taking so long to come to bed and decided to leave the light on and just close her eyes for a second while she waited for him.

The woman was awakened almost half an hour later when she heard Roland call her name quietly. She opened her eyes to see him standing by the door, looking terrified.

"Roland, what is it?"

"I'm scared"

_Why did I tell him about Zelena just before going to bed?, _she wondered as she lifted the covers on the other side of the bed, motioning for him to join her, only then realizing that Robin still wasn't there.

The 5-year-old climbed into bed and snuggled up against her.

"Roland, she can't hurt you, I won't let her" she rubbed his back in slow, gentle movements, trying to comfort him.

"But it's so dark in there, what if she's hiding somewhere?"

Then it hit her "Roland, is it the first time you sleep alone?"

He nodded, looking up at her with his big brown eyes. She should've guessed as much. Maybe he hadn't shared his father's bed every single night, but surely they had always been in the same room. It was perfectly understandable. Roland was all that was left of Robin's wife and he was very protective. Plus, the woods were no place for a child, it only made sense Robin had always kept him as close to him as possible.

"I see.. Well, how about I tell you a story? Maybe that way it'll be easier for you to fall asleep"

Roland agreed and she took a minute to decide which story to tell him. She didn't want to tell him something too scary, but it was hard to find a story that didn't contain some evil characters. Then she recalled a movie she had seen with Henry, called _Frozen_. It was a sad story but it had an happy ending and it was the only one she could think of that wouldn't scare Roland even more.

_"__Once upon a time, there was a land, far away from here, called Arendelle. The king and the queen of Arendelle had two daughters, princess Elsa and princess Anna. Elsa was the older one and she was born with a special power. She could create and control ice and snow. The princesses started growing up and everything was fine until, one night, Elsa accidentally hurt her sister. The king and the queen sought the help of the troll king, who healed Anna. Elsa felt responsible and, worried she couldn't control her powers, locked herself away in her room.."_

Roland fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Regina's voice was warm and calming, and he relaxed completely listening to its sound. Regina was about to fall asleep as well, when she saw Robin walking down the hallway only to stop in his tracks when he noticed the two of them lying in the same bed.

Regina's head propped up a little and she motioned for him to come next to her so they wouldn't wake Roland up by talking too loud. He headed over to her side of the bed and sat on the edge, her hand finding his almost immediately.

"What were you doing?" she asked in a whisper.

"I was just looking for an extra blanket, it gets rather chilly downstairs at night" the sentence earned him a confused frown from her.

"Why do you need one?"

"I thought I was going to sleep on the couch.."

"Why would you think that?" she smiled and pulled him down towards her so she could kiss him "I want you here with me"

"What about Roland? He doesn't know about us.."

"Then we'll tell him.. if you're okay with that, of course" there was an edge of uncertainty to her voice. Perhaps he was backing out of the whole thing and just didn't want to tell her, which would explain why he was apparently trying to find an excuse not to sleep there next to her.

He saw the doubt in her eyes and reassured her "Why wouldn't I want that? I already told you, Regina. I love you and I want to be with you. We'll tell him tomorrow."

The man started lifting the covers to take the little boy to his bed, but she stopped him "Let him stay here.. Just for tonight"

He couldn't deny her that, not when she was looking at his with pleading eyes as she wrapped her arms just a little tighter around Roland's small body. So he just slipped into bed and Regina turned off the light. Their hands rested together on Regina's belly, feeling the small movements inside of it. Everything was perfect, neither of them could ask for more because they finally felt like they had everything they always wanted. A real family.

Little did they know that there was someone lurking in the dark outside their house, watching their every move, only waiting for the right moment to start destroying their happy ending.

* * *

**_A/N: I hope you loved this chapter as much as I loved writing it! Let me know _****_what you thought about it :) x_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: Can't believe I made it on time with this chapter, cause I've been crazy busy! Thank you for all of your kind reviews, they're what keeps me going :)_**

**_Anyway, enjoy this update and the Belle/Regina feels :)_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, its characters nor any scene you might recognize from the show._**

* * *

Chapter 8

"Roland, are you ready?" Regina yelled from the hall and she soon heard light footsteps rushing down the stairs, followed by slower, heavier ones.

A couple of weeks had gone by. Zelena hadn't been seen for a while and, though everyone was still worried about her, their lives had slowly gone back to normal. Robin helped Emma at the Sheriff station so David could spend more time at home with Snow and their son, and Roland was about to start going to school. Since Regina was trying to stay home as much as she could, she had gotten to spend a lot of time with Roland during the past few weeks, so she had started teaching him to read and write.

He was the sweetest little boy and she had grown very fond of him. Roland was like a son to her and she would have done anything to protect him. One night, as she was tucking him in, Regina could've sworn she had heard him say '_Goodnight, mama.._'. She decided not to dwell on it too much, though. She still missed Henry and hearing those words hurt, because it seemed to her as if she had abandoned him, replacing him with Roland.

"Look at you, in that uniform!" She beamed as she bent a little to kiss his forehead "You are one handsome young man!"

"Must run in the family" Robin said, giving Regina a lopsided grin. She rolled her eyes at him and Robin stole a quick kiss from her.

"Come on, let's go! We don't want to be late on our first day, do we?" Roland shook his head and sprinted towards the car the moment Regina opened the front door.

She turned to face Robin "We really need to tell him about.. us" the word sounded so sweet as it slipped out of her mouth. "We can't keep sneaking around behind his back, he's going to find out eventually"

"Okay, tonight after dinner. Deal?"

"Deal." She grinned and her eyes lit up. Robin looked at the car to make sure Roland was not watching them. His son was struggling with his seat belt, though, so Robin wrapped his arms around Regina and kissed her passionately.

* * *

After dropping Roland off at school, Robin and Regina decided to take a walk. Regina stopped walking when she noticed they were standing in front of Mr Gold's pawn shop.

Rumplestiltskin was her mentor and, even though she would never admit it, she missed him. Knowing that Zelena controlled him worried Regina a lot. He was powerful and couldn't be killed by any normal weapon so, should Zelena use him to get her revenge, there would be very little they could do to defend themselves.

Regina closed her eyes for a moment. She didn't even want to think about the possibility of having to kill Rumple. He was almost like family to her, in some twisted way.

Belle was in the back of the shop when she heard the doorbell ring, so she made her way to the entrance to find Regina and Robin standing in front of her.

Regina noticed her eyes were red and puffy from crying. It had already been a week since Neal's funeral and she was still wearing black. Surely, not having Rumple by her side only made things worse.

The former queen didn't know how to act. She had entered the shop with no real purpose and now she didn't know what to do. Her relationship with Belle was complicated, that was sure. She had kept the girl prisoner for 28 years to use her as leverage against Rumplestiltskin, Belle had every right to be mad at her. She didn't seem to be, though. Regina only saw tiredness and sadness in her big blue eyes, which were still shining with tears.

"Hello, Belle. How are you holding up?" Robin asked as he took a couple of steps towards her and hugged her.

"I'm.. I'm fine, thank you.." They all knew it was a lie but pretended that everything _was_ indeed fine "What are you two doing here?"

Regina just stood there, looking at the two, absorbed in thought. She eventually snapped back to reality and noticed the two were waiting for her to speak.

"I.. I wanted to talk to you, Belle.."

"Oh.. well, follow me, we might as well sit down"

The two headed to the back of the shop and sat down on the couch, while Robin insisted on staying where he was in order to give them some privacy.

* * *

"So.. what is it?" Belle asked when they sat on the couch.

Regina knew the girl was neither happy nor comfortable to be alone with her. She couldn't blame her for hating her but she wanted to try and fix it somehow.

"I.. I don't know.. I guess I just wanted to see how you were holding up" Regina whispered, staring at her hands folded in her lap, not ready to see the hateful look in Belle's eyes.

"Well, that was.. nice of you. Anything else?"

"Look, I know you hate me, you have every right to," Regina said, looking at Belle "what I did to you was horrible. Being kept prisoner is something no person should have to endure, I know that very well, which makes what I did even worse.." tears started to pool in Regina's eyes but she managed not to let them escape. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry, Belle.. about everything I put you through. I was in a very dark place at the time and I know that this doesn't justify my actions but.. I made a mistake. Well, lots of them actually, and it was wrong to lock you up.. I'm sorry, Belle. I truly am"

"You've really changed.."

"Don't know about that.. I might've still killed someone during our missing year." Regina said giving her a sad smile.

"I know changing is not easy. It wasn't with Rumple but he did it and I believe it is possible for you as well. I forgive you.." Regina instinctively moved to hug Belle, who was a little taken aback at first but eventually relaxed and hugged the former queen back.

"I miss him too.." Regina whispered and Belle pulled back so she could wipe the hot tears from her face.

The two turned, when they heard a couple of knocks on the door, to find Robin standing on the doorframe, smiling.

"Sorry to interrupt but, could I have a moment alone with Regina?"

"Sure, I'll be in the other room" Belle squeezed Regina's hands before walking away.

Robin walked over to Regina and sat back on his heels in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"Robin, what is it?"

"Whale just called me, he said the lab sent him the results this morning"

Regina's expression was unreadable. She just stared at Robin, unable to breathe, unable to speak, unable to move. How could she have forgotten about it? It didn't matter, because all that fear resurfaced in the blink of an eye. It was probably better to rip off the band-aid and be done with it.

"So?" she managed to whisper with an unsteady voice.

"So.." he whispered back, smiling at her "_we_ are going to have a perfectly healthy little girl"

"We? You mean..?"

"Yes, I'm the father, Regina"

Her heart burst with joy at the piece of news and she cupped Robin's face with her hands, pulling him towards her to kiss him. They couldn't stop smiling and eventually broke the kiss to look at each other.

"Are you.. happy about this?" Regina asked him.

"Are you joking? Regina, I love you with all my heart and to know you're carrying my baby is like a dream come true"

They rested their hands on Regina's belly and the baby started kicking.

"Hey there, little princess" Robin whispered as he lowered his head so his face was mere inches away from the bump "We can't wait to meet you"

It was everything she had ever wanted. A family with the man she loved. It was her happy ending.

* * *

On their way out, something caught Regina's eye. She left Robin's side and walked towards one of the shelves. She carefully picked up a necklace, very similar to the one Rumplestiltskin had given Henry to control his dreams after waking up from the sleeping curse. It was a little smaller and contained black dust. She remembered seeing the necklace once before, when Rumplestiltskin was teaching her magic. He had said something about it making it possible to see the future while dreaming but it was very dark and powerful, so he hadn't let her even get close to the object.

"Belle, would you mind if I borrowed this?" She asked turning to face the girl.

"Sure. What is it?" She shrugged and her brows furrowed in curiosity.

"It's nothing, really, just something Rumple once showed me. It might help me find out something more about Zelena."

"Okay, let me know if there's something I can help you with." She was determined to get Rumple back at any cost and Regina knew it. She nodded and left the shop with Robin.

* * *

"So, what is it this necklace does?" he asked.

"It can help you see someone's past in your dreams. But it's similar to blood magic, it only works if you're related to that person. Taking a look at something that happened it the past isn't dangerous, for the past cannot be changed. You just peek at something that has happened already, it doesn't even require magical abilities. I mean, you could do it, if you were related to her. So, maybe, if I find out something about her past and how she became like this, we can find a way to stop her. I don't know why I didn't think of this before.."

_Liar_.

She hated lying to Robin but she didn't want him to worry over something she believed to be perfectly safe. It wasn't like she was gonna face the witch, she would merely take a look at the future. The necklace was the only thing that could help her discover what Zelena was planning to do to her and the ones she loved and she would do anything in her power to protect them from harm.

* * *

**_A/N: Mmh.. will using the necklace be as safe as Regina thinks? Brace yourself, angst is coming! ;)_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N: Gosh, you have no idea how badly I wanted to upload this chapter to know what you all think about it! Angst is hereee! _**

**_Enjoy x_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, its characters nor any scene you might recognize from the show._**

* * *

Chapter 9

Regina's heart was beating wildly in her chest. She had started doing the dishes after dinner to keep herself busy.

She was the one who wanted to tell Roland about Robin and her but, still, she was nervous. She had grown very fond of Roland but what if he didn't accept them having a relationship and Regina being a permanent part of his life?

She was so lost in thought she didn't even notice Robin approaching until he placed his warm hands on her upper arms, causing her to jump slightly.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She didn't turn to look at him as she nodded so he moved to stand next to her.

"Regina, it'll be fine. Roland loves you!" he whispered, as if he had read her mind.

He waited for her to dry her hands then took one in his and pulled her gently towards the living room.

Roland was sitting on the carpet, watching a disney movie. Robin and Regina sat on the couch and he turned off the tv before lifting the little boy to settle him on his lap.

"Roland, there's something we would like to tell you" Robin said smiling at his son. He lifted his gaze to look at Regina. Her mouth was open but no words came out.

"Regina and I love each other very, very much" he said "and we both love you so much.."

"What do you think about us becoming a family?" she asked Roland all of a sudden.

Roland's eyes lit up at her words and he grinned as he looked at his father and then at Regina "Will you be my new mama?"

"I..I guess so"

The boy squealed and wrapped his tiny arms around her neck "I love you, 'Gina"

She returned the hug instantly and held him as close to her as her bump allowed.

"Oh, and there's something else," Robin said "you're going to have a little sister soon"

Roland was beyond excited at the news. Regina moved his small hands on her belly so he could feel the kicks. He leaned in and started talking to his unborn sister. Needless to say, it didn't take him long to fall asleep in Regina's arms.

"See? I told you it would be fine" Robin whispered and leaned in to kiss her before picking up Roland to bring him to his room.

* * *

After clearing the table, Regina made her way upstairs to find Robin waiting for her in their bedroom. The door to the bathroom was open and she saw he had prepared a hot bath for her. There were lit candles all around the bathtub, she could smell the sweet cinnamon scent in the air, it was her favourite.

"I thought you might use some relax"

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and moved in to kiss her, cradling her head. Regina moaned as she opened her mouth to allow him free access and soon felt his warm tongue against hers. He pulled her body as close as possible to his own, his right hand still tangled in her hair as he rested the left on her side, while her hands were running slowly over his chest. Regina was finding it incredibly hard to breathe properly. She bit down gently on his lower lip before pulling away, resting her forehead against his and nuzzling her nose against his.

"Can you help me with the zipper?" she asked, her eyes still closed, as she inhaled his scent. He smelled of forest, she thought. She turned so he could pull the zipper down. His fingers barely brushed her soft skin but it was enough to give her goosebumps.

She slipped out of the dress and looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror in front of her.

"Gosh, I am huge.. How can you find me attractive?" her smile disappeared from her face as she lowered her gaze.

Robin wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his hands on top of hers on her growing belly "Can't you see how breathtakingly beautiful you are? You are stunning, Regina.. in every way. And you're carrying my child, which is why I love you all the more."

He left a trail of hot kisses on her skin, starting from the crook of her neck and ending on her shoulder, and Regina tilted her head back so it rested on his shoulder.

She purred into his ear "Let's go take that bath, shall we?"

* * *

As she sat on the edge of the bed, Regina saw the necklace she had left on the nightstand. She picked it up and stared at it for a while before finally putting it on.

She slipped under the covers and scooted closer to Robin, so they were so close their noses touched.

He caressed her cheek, stroking it slowly with his thumb, as his blue eyes locked with her dark orbs.

"Are you sure this is safe?" he was concerned and Regina knew that, which was why she didn't want to tell him the truth in the first place.

"Positive. It will be just like having a dream, you don't have to worry.." And, technically, it _was_ going to be just like a dream. Or so she hoped, anyway,

"Okay.." Robin whispered, pressing his lips slowly to hers. "I love you, my beautiful queen"

"I love you too, my handsome thief" she replied with a smile before turning off the light.

* * *

_The house was empty._

_It was night, that much was clear, for the only light in the house was the moonlight coming in through the windows. The air was chilly enough to send shivers running down her spine._

_She looked around the bedroom, which was empty. Robin wasn't there next to her._

_She started looking frantically in every room but he was nowhere to be seen and neither was Roland. She made her way down the stairs and started screaming their names but no response came. _

_She started panicking. _

_She didn't know what to do._

_Then, all of a sudden, she heard a rumble, much similar to that of an earthquake. She saw the floor begin to crack and, before she could take a step, it caved in. _

_She started falling in the dark. She could feel the gravity pulling her down but, at the same time, it felt like she wasn't moving at all. She didn't know how long it lasted, it might have been a minute or an hour, there was no way of telling. _

_The fall stopped only when she hit the ground with her back and the air was knocked out of her lungs._

_When she managed to breathe properly again, she slowly turned on her side to stand up. _

_Something felt wrong, though. she could feel it now as the palm of her hand lay flat on the ground. It was wet, warm and sticky. _

_There was barely any light in the room but when set sat upright and lifted her hands to get a better look, she realized the floor was covered in blood._

_She was in no pain at all, though, despite the fall. She wasn't bleeding so whose blood was it?_

_As she stood up, she heard someone scream. It was a woman but she couldn't make out who the voice belonged to. The heart-rending screams were mixed with whimpers and, even though they felt distant, she felt as if they were inside of her head as well, so she put her hands over her ears and closed her eyes, trying to make it stop._

_It was unbearable._

_Then it stopped, as fast as it had started. _

_Everything was silent and she opened her eyes. She needed to find a way out but there was no door. _

_She walked towards a wall on the other end of the room, which was completely in the dark but she didn't get to it._

_She didn't get to it because, before she had a chance to, she tripped over something and fell to her knees._

_Trying to stand up again, her hand landed on what she had tripped over. Only it wasn't something. Much to her horror, she had tripped over someone._

_She didn't remove her hand and instead moved both around to make sure she hadn't gone crazy. She was touching someone's arm, then his shoulder and his neck. There was no pulse._

_It was an adult's corpse she was touching and it was covered in blood._

_Then her hands hit something else on the adult's side. Her hands were trembling as they squeezed a smaller arm. There was a child too._

_Suddenly, she heard Zelena's cackle in the air. She wasn't there but the sound haunted her all the same. And then it was like her sister was whispering into her ear 'I'm going to take everything away from you'._

_Her eyes widened as her mind traveled to the people the corpses belonged to and she felt dizzy at the thought._

_Robin and Roland. The man she loved with all her heart, her soulmate, and the boy she had grown so fond of, who had started calling her 'mama'. Ripped away from her, like everyone she had ever loved._

_Her body was shaking with silent sobs as she bent over the two cold bodies. And she screamed. She screamed their names, she begged Robin not to leave her, she screamed because she loved him and it felt as if her heart was breaking._

_Memories haunted her, replaying in her mind like a cruel game. Memories of Robin, kissing her, holding her close, telling her he would protect her. Memories of Roland, snuggled up against her on the couch, playing with her hair, his small arms wrapped around her body. And her mother's voice saying that love is weakness._

_Suddenly, she felt herself disappearing. She couldn't touch the bodies anymore, because her own was fading away. And she screamed, because she didn't want to leave them, because she couldn't live without them anymore._

* * *

Regina woke up in the middle of the night. She was sweating, her eyes still closed. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she lowered her hand to hold her lower abdomen.

She felt an excruciating pain start in her lower back and move to the front of her abdomen. Her stomach was rock hard and she knew something was wrong.

Robin woke up in a matter of seconds, after Regina grabbed his arm. He turned on the light to see her holding her abdomen in pain.

"Regina.."

"Robin, something's wrong.." she managed to whisper when she opened her eyes to look at him. A new wave of pain forces Regina to let out a strangled scream. Robin quickly got out of bed, reached his cellphone and dialed 911 as fast as he could.

He kept pacing next to the bed, talking on the phone, not tearing his eyes off of her for a second, but Regina didn't listen to a word he said. She could feel a warm stickiness between her thighs that had her eyes pooling with hot tears. She didn't want to look down, because it would make it true.

With tears streaming down her face, she tried to sit up against the bed's headboard then slowly lifted the white linen covers, revealing a huge bloodstain between her legs.

"Robin.." it was just a whisper amongst her wails but it was enough to make his skin crawl. He walked closer and dropped the cellphone when he noticed all the blood that covered her legs and the sheets below.

"Robin, I don't wanna lose her.." Regina managed to say through her tears as she grabbed his arms and grimaced again due to the agonizing pain.

He didn't know what to do. He only hoped it wasn't too late to save her.

* * *

**_A/N: I really missed writing angst stuff, hope you guys liked this chapter! :) Thank you all for your support, your reviews make my day x_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: Thank you so much guys for sticking with this story. I'm sorry for not being able to update last week, I don't have much time to write these days so you'll just have to be a little patient. Thank you so much for following and reviewing, your reviews warm my heart, keep them coming!_**

**_P.S. My best friend made me notice something wasn't quite right at the end of chapter 8. Basically, Regina thought that telling Robin she was going to see the past was better than telling him she was actually going to see the future, because he thought using magic always comes with a price. See her point? It made absolutely no sense, because she was going to use magic anyway. My bad. Anyway, I tried to fix it by chancing a little the end of chapter 8, in case you want to take a look._**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, its characters nor any scene you might recognize from the show.**_

_**Enjoy! **_

* * *

**_Chapter 10_**

They couldn't wait for an ambulance so Robin called Belle, who luckily picked up the phone almost immediately, and asked her to come straight to their house to keep an eye on Roland. There was no time to explain.

He put the phone back in his pocket, grabbed the car keys and lifted Regina up in his arms. He couldn't stand hearing her pain-filled cries, it was quickly tearing his heart to pieces. He carefully made his way downstairs and out of the front door. He could feel Regina's blood dripping from her nightgown onto the arm that was supporting her legs. The liquid was warm and sticky and the feeling of it staining his arm made his skin crawl.

There was no time to waste, though. He had to stay strong for the both of them, he couldn't let those thoughts get to him.

He opened the car door and got her into the passenger seat. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she gripped his arm, digging her nails into his skin until the contraction was over. He fastened her seat belt for her and quickly made his way around the car to jump into the vehicle.

Robin pulled out of the driveway just as Belle parked her car in front of the house.

He was going fast but he didn't even care. There was no one around anyway and he only wanted to get Regina to the hospital. He glanced at her for a split second. Her left hand was resting on her belly as she tried to muffle her sobs with her right one. Her face was covered in tears that just wouldn't stop falling.

"Regina, it's going to be alright, try and take deep breaths.." Robin tried to say in what was supposed to be a steady voice, that turned out to be shaky and barely above a whisper but loud enough for her to hear.

"It's all my fault, I used magic and you were right, you said it wasn't safe and I should've listened to you. Why didn't I listen to you?" She was hyperventilating and talking so fast among her sobs that Robin could barely make out what she was saying.

"Regina, you need to calm down, we're almost there"

"This can't be happening, Robin, it's too soon.." her voice cracked and quivered and to hear those sounds coming out of her mouth was too much for him. He would give anything to make her pain stop. She started repeating how sorry she was until they got to the hospital. Whale was already outside, waiting for them. They lifted Regina onto the stretcher and led her inside.

Robin followed the doctor and nurses into the room where they took Regina. He heard Whale giving orders but could understand half of what he was saying, it was as if he was speaking an entirely different language.

"Robin.." Regina whispered as she started slipping in and out of consciousness. She was too pale, he had never seen her like that.

He was by her side in a second and held her hand, looking between her and Whale frantically, wishing there was something he could do "What is happening to her?"

Whale ignored him and turned to one of the nurses instead "She needs a transfusion, gimme an 0-neg, now!"

Robin started yelling at Whale and it took two nurses to drag him outside of the room. They left him in the waiting room and all he could do was sit there and hope they would be fine.

Half an hour later, Belle entered the hospital with a crying Roland in her arms. Robin stood and met her halfway, taking Roland in his arms, which seemed to calm the little boy down a little.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry, I tried to calm him down but.." her voice dropped to a whisper "He woke up and went to your room and with all that blood.."

Robin closed his eyes at the thought and wrapped his arms even tighter around his son.

"Daddy?" his voice a little hoarse from crying "Is 'Gina okay?"

How to answer that when they wouldn't even let him see her?

As if on cue, Whale walked into the waiting room.

"How is she? Are they.."

"They're fine, Robin. They're both fine."

"I don't understand, what happened?"

"Come with me, I'll explain it to the both of you."

He left Roland with Belle and followed the doctor into Regina's room. The moment he entered, he rushed to her side and lowered his head to kiss her. He pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes shining with tears "I thought I was gonna lose you both, don't ever scare me like that again, please"

"I'm sorry, Robin, I truly am.."

Robin broke eye contact first in order to look at Whale "So, what happened?"

"Regina, you suffered a partial placental abruption. That means the placenta has partially detached from the lining of the uterus. You lost a lot of blood so we had to give you a blood transfusion but, luckily, the baby didn't show much distress and eventually stabilized when the bleeding stopped."

"But are they going to be alright?"

"Placental abruption often leads to premature labor or even calls for an emergency C-section. Luckily, the abruption wasn't severe and we were able to avoid delivering the baby. Being only 27 weeks she's not fully developed yet and the chances of survival would've been very low. So, Regina, I'm going to put you on bed rest until you're close to your due date and we're gonna have to monitor you closely to make everything is fine."

Regina only nodded and closed her eyes. The reality of possibly losing her unborn child hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"And do you know what caused this to happen?" Robin asked.

"I'm afraid not. It's not uncommon and sometimes there's not a specific cause, it just.. happens."

"Thank you, Dr. Whale" Robin said as he watched the doctor leave the room.

He sat on a chair next to her bed and took her hand in his. He closed his eyes as he brought it to his cheek and turned his head a little to kiss her palm.

She wasn't able to hold her tears much longer, the memories of his and Roland's body lying lifeless in a puddle of blood resurfacing and hitting her harder than before.

"Robin I was so scared, I thought I had lost you and Roland and the baby.. It's all my fault, I'm so sorry"

"Shh, Regina, calm down, I'm right here" he whispered "I'm not going anywhere"

"It's all my fault.. The necklace.." She knew the stress wasn't good for the baby so she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself a little. Robin was looking at her with concern written all over his face. She had to tell him the truth.

"I lied. Rumple's necklace didn't help me see the past. It helped me see the future." She looked ashamed of herself, but Robin couldn't understand what the big difference was. He gave her a quizzical look but she opened her mouth to speak again before he could voice his question.

"It was dark magic, very powerful. Rumple didn't tell me much about it, I didn't know if there were side effects to it and I used it anyway. I just wanted to know what Zelena wanted to do so we could stop her. And you were right, using magic was a bad idea and I was so stupid.. We almost lost her and it's all my fault"

Though a small part of him was angry at her for lying to him, Robin understood why she had done it. It was only to protect the ones she loved and she obviously knew that if she had told him the truth about the necklace he never would've allowed her to use it "Regina, calm down. It's not your fault. You heard Dr Whale, these things happen. The important thing is that she's okay. That you both are"

Regina tugged at his hand and shifted a little, motioning for him to come lie down next to her. As soon as he was lying beside her, he wrapped his right arms around her and let his left hand rest on her belly. Regina rested her head against his chest and inhaled his sweet scent. She remembered thinking he smelled like forest when they met, a scent she had begun referring to as that of her home. He was her home.

"Robin, there's something I need to tell you"

He didn't speak and nodded instead.

Regina pulled away a little so she could look at his face "When I saw the future, I was in a dark room. I don't know exactly where, there was no light, I couldn't see a thing. I felt like falling and I landed in this room and there was blood everywhere and.." she averted her eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say what she had seen in her dream, it was too hard, but she had to "You and Roland were there.. You were dead"

He didn't know what to say. He held Regina closer to his body and whispered "I'm not leaving you, I'm not going anywhere. We will find a way to defeat Zelena and we're all going to be okay, I promise."

"I trust you.. and I love you" she did trust him but it wasn't enough. She had too much to lose now, a promise couldn't erase her worries.

"I love you too. Rest now, I'll be right here with you. I always will be."

When Regina started stirring a couple of hours later, she noticed Robin was not next to her. She opened her eyes, expecting to find him sitting in the chair next to the bed but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Using dark magic while you're pregnant? You should really try and be more careful, Regina." Zelena said, feigning concern before letting out a low laugh as she stepped out of the shadow.

Regina tried to sit up to reach the nurse call button but couldn't. Zelena was faster than her and, with a flick of her hand, she tied her hands to the bed rails. She held her sister's gaze, looking at her defiantly "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing, dear. You are, after all, my sister." Zelena said as she walked around the bed. She now stood next to Regina and reached out to rest her hand on top of her belly "I made a promise to you, Regina, and you can rest assure, I am going to keep it."

Zelena's whisper sent shivers down her spine and she started wriggling against the restraints, only wishing to put as much distance between herself and her deranged sister as she could.

"You know, all this stress isn't good for the baby, dear."

"What do you plan on doing to her?" Regina tried to sound strong but her voice was laced with fear.

"She will play quite an important part in my revenge against you."

"What did I ever to to you?" Regina asked, naturally curious as to why her sister, whose existence she had been completely oblivious to, resented her so much.

"Isn't it obvious?" There was nothing but hate and envy in the witch's eyes "You were born."

For how hard she tried, Regina just couldn't understand. She had never seen or spoken to the woman. Had she killed a loved one among the thousand people she had slaughtered?

Many questions ran through her mind but then Zelena spoke again "Our mother gave me away. I had to grow up in Oz, but you she kept! You she gave everything! Well, now, I'm going to take it all back. What awaits you is a fate worse than death. Spend what little time you have left with your loved ones, dear. I'm going to destroy you and there is nothing you can do to stop me."


End file.
